Elliotte 2 months!

I cannot believe Elliotte is 2 months old already! Time really does fly by. She is the sweetest baby and is a "good baby" as everyone keeps asking me. I love when I go in to get her in the morning and those big eyes are looking up at me. Ben is such a big help. He gets up to change her diaper at night and brings her to me to nurse. In the mornings and at night he always wants to hold her while I get things done around the house.
I'll be going back to work in 2 weeks. Not sure if I'll be back at Baptist on the Oncology floor or not. I find out this week if I get a Clinical Educator position with St. Thomas Health Services. It's more money and better hours so I'd love to get it. But if not, I've got a great job that I enjoy. Elliotte will be spending a lot more time with her Nonna (my mom) once I go back to work. Makes me very happy to know she'll be very well taken care of while I'm away.

At 8 weeks Elliotte was:
weight: 12 pounds 3 oz. (95%)
length: 22 inches (45%)
head circ: 15 inches (45%)

At 2 months Elliotte:
Is "talking" some
Smiles more each day
Focuses on objects especially fans
Loves music
Looks like her Daddy
LOVES to be outside
Trying to roll over
Sleeps 5-6 hours after night time bottle
Nurses the rest of the time
Still sleeps tightly swaddled
Has an umbilical hernia
Has very strong legs with lots of rolls

2 month pic with the pug

Real pug

Fell asleep during photo shoot!

Worn out after 8 week shots!

Bath time. She's starting to like it more. You can see her hernia a little in this pic.

Pictures

Practicing a little tummy time. Found her hand.

The dogs have gotten used to a little less attention.

My little burrito fast asleep.

Focusing on the frog.

Elliotte loves her Hoover and her Dad.

Found her hand again.

Over tummy time.

Baby Dedication at Church

Two Sundays ago was Baby Dedication day at Hillsboro. Elliotte wore her pretty gown. We've had quite the baby boom. There were supposed to be five babies dedicated, but only three were well. Elliotte received her baby Bible and a prayer was led to bless the babies. Elliotte, Austin Cummings, and Charlie McDaniel were very well blessed.

We ate lunch at my parents house afterward. Notice who is holding the baby. Calls her his pookie bear.

Nonna and Pops

Clay and Leslie showing off her baby bump.

Phoebe is not an Elliotte fan. She chooses to ignore her.

Grandmom's 85th Birthday

This past Sunday was my Grandmom's (Dad's mom) 85th birthday. We all surprised her with a party out at my Uncle Greg's house in Franklin. Grandmom had no idea. She thought she was coming out there to eat lunch with a couple people. She was surprised with all the Nashville family and then some of the Atlanta family. Aunt Marian, Renee, Mason, Bailey, Uncle Mike, and Sherrie drove up from Atlanta Sunday morning to surprise Grandmom. We definitely got her. She laughed and cried and was so happy everyone was there. We ate burgers off the grill and the kids swam in the pool getting out only long enough to eat really fast. I was so happy my Atlanta family drove up b/c we just don't see them enough. We missed the ones that couldn't make it and hope they get to come for Thanksgiving.

SURPRISE! Grandmom seeing everyone when she walked in.

Aunt Marian with Elliotte. First time seeing her.

Sherrie and Uncle Mike with Elliotte.


Grandmom finding out Mom and Dad are taking her to see Vince Gill in concert. He's her absolute favorite.

Finding out she's sitting REALLY close.

Blowing out 8.5 candles.

Mason and Bailey

Renee holding Elliotte

Ben, Clay, Leslie, Kyle, and me with Grandmom

Uncle Greg, Uncle Mike, Dad, and Aunt Marian with the birthday girl.

She was so happy all her children were present.

Elliotte 1 month

I can't believe my baby is one month old today! Elliotte is doing so well. She's a typical newborn: eating, sleeping, peeing, and pooping. She is having more awake time each day and sleeps really well at night in 3-4 hour increments. She loves her noise machine, being swaddled tightly and sleeping on her side. We've started going for strolls, and she falls fast asleep once we start moving. She's been a little gassy, and I've figured out that it's probably my eating dairy and Italian food. Tomatoes seem to be the culprit. So, no more tomatoes and cottage cheese for me. Since I've eliminated those foods, Elliotte has been fine. She's only fussy when she's dirty or hungry. She nurses most of the time, but takes a bottle from Ben every other night. So far we have not needed to use any formula. I'm loving the "freeness" of nursing. Doesn't cost a thing, and I don't have to tote bottles around everywhere I go! She does not take a paci. Sometimes my mom can get her to suck on one, but she definitely does not need it. She does not like her swing yet, but I've been told she will in a few more weeks. I wish it was big enough for me. It looks very comfy.
A week and a half ago she weighed 8# 3oz and was 20inches long. Elliotte has definitely grown since then. Her feet are peeking out the bottom of her newborn gowns and her thighs are getting small rolls! We've been getting out of the house a good bit. We've gone to church, a couple of friends' houses, and my parents house. I feel a lot better when I get out of the house a bit during the day. Elliotte travels well too. Such a good, sweet baby. We are blessed.

Her monthly pics will be made with my pug doll.

And Buster too. He's not one month; he's almost 12!

Going for a stroll today.

Already asleep.

Mom, does this double chin make me look fat?!

Elliotte's Second Week

My sweet baby girl is now two weeks old, and she still hasn't reached her due date!! She is doing so well now that we've got the nursing thing all figured out. She had reached a weight of 7# 3oz on Wed, so we're still working on getting back up to birth weight. She is eating like a pig so I wouldn't think it would be too hard.
We've still had visitors coming over to meet Elliotte this past week. She ended up with a little eye infection on Thursday, so we had to turn some people away. Sorry! She is doing the eating, sleeping, peeing, and pooping thing really well. She's in her big girl crib now after spending a week in a co-sleeper by our bed. She seems to like her crib and noisemaker just like her mom and dad. She's also taken to sleeping on her left side just like me.
Everyone has been asking me how all the dogs are adjusting. Overall, pretty well. Buster and Hoover just kind of ignore her. Hoover likes to check on her from time to time and sleeps on the rug in the nursery if I'm in there nursing. Belle is taking a little longer to adjust. Since she was the "baby" before Elliotte, she's not really understanding why I can't hold her as much. She wants to lick Elliotte in the face and be right up in her business all the time. But she gets better every day.
Not too many pics this week. I'll try to do better...

Ready for bed.

Cuddling with daddy.

This is how she sleeps. Loves having her hand up to her face. This was how she looked on all her ultrasounds pics too!

Newborn Sneak Peek

Elliotte had her newborn photo session with Katie Mosley this morning, and these are the pictures she posted on Facebook for the "sneak peek." I am blown away with how amazing they are! She even captured a gassy smile!

Elliotte's First Week

My sweet baby girl is one week old today! I can't believe it. She's still not supposed to have entered this world yet. We've had a good week. She started off with some feeding issues that required a trip to the Ped for a weight check, but as of today, her new name is Miss Piggy b/c she is eating like crazy. She ate almost every 1 hour and 15 minutes last night which did not provide me with much sleep, but I am very thankful that she is doing so well. We go back to the Ped this afternoon for her one week check up. I'm sure she has gained plenty of weight this time. We are having so much fun with her. Ben is loving being a daddy and can't wait to get home from work to see her. Enjoy the pictures from her first week!

Getting ready to go home!

Leaving the hospital.

She did NOT like her carseat at first.

Meeting Buster. He's done so well with her.

Uncle Kyle lovin on his "favorite" neice.

Cousin Ashley

Getting love from Pops

Chris and Allison stopped by to meet her.

Projectile poop! Allison jinxed my sweet girl by talking about the NICU babies who shoot poop across the room. Five minutes later, Elliotte did the same thing! We were dying laughing.

Kyle and Lindsey

Belle checking her out

Grandmom meeting her great granddaughter.

After her 1st bath!

Newborn photo shoot with Katie Mosley. Had to take a couple shots with my camera.

My favorie prop!!